REAL PEOPLE, REAL ISSUES

January 07, 2009

Hundreds remember BART shooting victim with joy and tears

(01-07) 16:42 PST HAYWARD --
After his daughter was born four years ago, Oscar Grant kept on driving
around with two huge pink flags on his car that proclaimed, "It's a
girl," until the material disintegrated.He acted like an older brother to his sister, even though he was six years younger than she was.And he was such a dedicated fisherman that during a church trip he
dressed up in full angler's gear, complete with a jacket, hat and
15-foot deep-sea fishing pole.Those were some of the remembrances shared Wednesday as more than
800 friends, relatives and community members turned out at a memorial
service for Grant, 22, of Hayward who was unarmed when he was shot and
killed early New Year's Day by a BART police officer at the Fruitvale
Station in Oakland.The service was alternately somber and spirited. Many people wept as
they went up to Grant's open casket, adorned with flowers inside Palma
Ceia Baptist Church in Hayward, which he attended since he was a child.One woman wailed and was escorted outside. Later, the Rev. Ronald
Coleman, buoyed by rousing Gospel music, proclaimed, "Little Oscar was
saved!"Those who eulogized Grant did not address the shooting, which was
captured on video by at least two BART riders and has stirred outrage
among those who believe the incident was tantamount to an execution. At
virtually the moment the service was getting under way, the lawyer and
union representative for the officer who shot Grant, Johannes Mehserle,
were submitting his resignation to BART officials.Instead of voicing anger about his death, those closest to Grant
spoke of his belief in God, his love of sports and his desire to
someday marry Sophina Mesa, the mother of his daughter, Tatiana."To me, Oscar was a gift of life, the very apple of God's eye," said
his aunt Donna Smith, adding that Grant regarded her as "his second
momma."Some of the recollections were light-hearted. Eugene Carter, a
church deacon, recalled a fishing trip in Tracy in which Grant carried
a bucket. Carter wondered what was inside and came face to face with a
"big old turtle" that Grant had caught. Asked what he was going to do with it, Grant gave a big grin and proclaimed, "I'm going to go home and eat it!" CONTINUE READING...

Comments

Hundreds remember BART shooting victim with joy and tears

(01-07) 16:42 PST HAYWARD --
After his daughter was born four years ago, Oscar Grant kept on driving
around with two huge pink flags on his car that proclaimed, "It's a
girl," until the material disintegrated.He acted like an older brother to his sister, even though he was six years younger than she was.And he was such a dedicated fisherman that during a church trip he
dressed up in full angler's gear, complete with a jacket, hat and
15-foot deep-sea fishing pole.Those were some of the remembrances shared Wednesday as more than
800 friends, relatives and community members turned out at a memorial
service for Grant, 22, of Hayward who was unarmed when he was shot and
killed early New Year's Day by a BART police officer at the Fruitvale
Station in Oakland.The service was alternately somber and spirited. Many people wept as
they went up to Grant's open casket, adorned with flowers inside Palma
Ceia Baptist Church in Hayward, which he attended since he was a child.One woman wailed and was escorted outside. Later, the Rev. Ronald
Coleman, buoyed by rousing Gospel music, proclaimed, "Little Oscar was
saved!"Those who eulogized Grant did not address the shooting, which was
captured on video by at least two BART riders and has stirred outrage
among those who believe the incident was tantamount to an execution. At
virtually the moment the service was getting under way, the lawyer and
union representative for the officer who shot Grant, Johannes Mehserle,
were submitting his resignation to BART officials.Instead of voicing anger about his death, those closest to Grant
spoke of his belief in God, his love of sports and his desire to
someday marry Sophina Mesa, the mother of his daughter, Tatiana."To me, Oscar was a gift of life, the very apple of God's eye," said
his aunt Donna Smith, adding that Grant regarded her as "his second
momma."Some of the recollections were light-hearted. Eugene Carter, a
church deacon, recalled a fishing trip in Tracy in which Grant carried
a bucket. Carter wondered what was inside and came face to face with a
"big old turtle" that Grant had caught. Asked what he was going to do with it, Grant gave a big grin and proclaimed, "I'm going to go home and eat it!" CONTINUE READING...

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